1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming method that can be applied to MFPs (Multi Function Peripherals) having several functions, such as a copy function, a scan function, a facsimile (hereinafter referred to as “FAX”) function and a print function, and perform an image forming (hereinafter may also referred to as “printing”) operation by exposing a photoreceptor based on data inputted via an input portion.
2. Description of Related Art
The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
Generally speaking, this kind of image forming apparatus, such as a MFP, is provided with an image forming portion for printing image data read by an image reading portion from a document placed on a document placing portion or printing print data sent from an external computer.
In the image forming portion, a reflecting member constituted by a polyangular mirror such as a polygon mirror or a galvanometer mirror is rotatably driven by a motor, and a laser beam modulated in response to data to be printed is reflected by the reflecting member toward a photoreceptor as an image carrying member, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor.
In such image forming portion, in general, the reflecting member normally is in a non-rotating state, and starts to rotate upon a print instruction caused by an operation of a copy start button for activating a motor. In this case, however, the print operation cannot be executed until the motor reaches the steady rotating status, resulting in a long first print time which is a time period required to initiate the first print operation from the operation of the copy start button.
In order to shorten the first print time, it is conventionally known to equip a pre-rotation function of activating the driving motor of the reflecting member when the opening/closing operation of the document cover is made or a document is disposed on the document placing portion prior to the operation of the copy start button (e.g., see Japanese Unexamined Laid-open Patent Publication No. H09-251228).
Another technique has also been proposed. In this technique, the reflecting member is shifted from a low speed rotating state to a high speed rotating state upon an operation of inputting a copy mode or a completion of setting a document onto the document placing portion (e.g., see Japanese Unexamined Laid-open Patent Publication No. H07-273951).
In the aforementioned conventional publicly known techniques, however, there is a drawback that the opening/closing operation of the document cover or the setting operation of the document onto the document placing portion causes the reflecting member to be shifted from the non-rotating state to a pre-rotating state even if the required operation is a non-image-forming operation not requiring the image forming portion to perform an image forming operation, e.g., an operation using a FAX transmission function of transmitting image data read by the image reading portion to an external terminal apparatus, an internet FAX transmission function of transmitting image data read by the image reading portion to a server as an attachment of an email, or a scan function of storing read image data into a storing medium such as a hard disk. This results in a useless rotation of the reflecting member to shorten the life of the reflecting member.
The description herein of advantages and disadvantages of various features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed in other publications is in no way intended to limit the present invention. Indeed, certain features of the invention may be capable of overcoming certain disadvantages, while still retaining some or all of the features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed therein.